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Universities – Scientists welcome new blood donation policy – UoA
Source: University of Auckland – UoA
University of Auckland research has helped inform a change in blood-donation policy.
TUESDAY 28 APRIL: Population health researchers are excited to have helped inform a policy change by the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS).
From 4 May, every blood donor will be asked the same questions about their sexual history, whereas previously, men who have sex with men were excluded (deferred) if they had oral or anal intercourse with another man in the previous three months.
“This is a much fairer system, because no longer will men be singled-out and asked sexuality-based questions about whether they’ve had sex with another man,” says researcher Tony Sriamporn in the School of Population Health at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.
This blanket ban meant men with low or no risk of HIV, such as men in monogamous same-sex relationships, were not allowed to donate.
In 2022, the Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study (SPOTS) recruited 3,253 gay and bisexual men, collected blood samples, and asked them about their HIV prevention behaviours and experience with blood donation.
SPOTS data showed that four out of five gay and bisexual men in New Zealand wanted to donate blood if the rules were changed and they were allowed to donate.
Importantly, the study found no participants with confirmed undiagnosed HIV.
“We knew the New Zealand Blood Service wanted to modernise but lacked New Zealand evidence to strengthen their case. Therefore, we are delighted that SPOTS participants have helped improve New Zealand’s blood donor policy,” says Sriamporn.
The University’s SPOTS study found a policy like the one just announced could triple the number of eligible gay and bisexual men donors from 13 percent to 41 percent or around 5,200 to 16,400 men.
“It’s a win for everyone as we always need more donors,” Sraimporn says. “We saw how recent events like Cyclone Vainau can disrupt collection services and quickly leave us short of blood.
New Zealand Blood Service chief medical officer Dr Sarah Morley says the organisation has long been committed to moving towards a behaviour-based approach when screening potential blood and plasma donors.
“The findings from the SPOTS research provided valuable New Zealand-specific evidence that strengthened the growing international evidence base,” Morley says.
“Together, this enabled our clinical team to complete a detailed review and risk assessment, confirming that introducing behaviour-based screening would not compromise the safety and quality of the blood we supply to patients.
“We’re looking forward to implementing these changes and to adopting a fairer, more consistent approach to assessing donor eligibility.”
Liz Gibbs, chief executive of The Burnett Foundation, also welcomes the move.
“We welcome this as an important step forward towards more equitable, behaviour-based donor screening,” Gibbs says.
“It reflects years of advocacy and the growing recognition that policy must evolve alongside science and community understanding.”
Associate Professor Peter Saxton from the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health says, “Sriamporn’s internationally recognised and published doctoral research offers insights into how an entire population could be introduced into the blood donor pool.
“It’s not every day that an entire population become eligible to donate blood. However, care must be taken in the next few steps to convert those good intentions into presenting for blood donation,” Saxton says.
“While many participants spoke about altruism, doing their civic duty, helping others, a significant minority felt alienated by the previous policy, and weren’t sure whether they would donate,” Saxton says.
“The challenge will be for the blood service rebuild relationships with the gay community, because this will ensure more eligible gay and bisexual men come forward.”
“This is wonderful news for the Rainbow community,” says Sriamporn, but noted that some members will remain frustrated.
“Future research could explore whether people taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), preventive HIV medication, could safely donate plasma in NZ,” says Sriamporn.
Australia has introduced a ‘plasma pathway’, which has enabled a wider group of donors to donate plasma, including people who use PrEP.
“We’ll also be closely watching the recent rollout in Australia for how its ‘Plasma Pathway’, which does just that, performs in practice.” Find out more.
Nonetheless, the team supports cautious and safe introduction of a fairer and consistent behaviour-based sexual activity screening approach for all donors.
The Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study (SPOTS) has been led by Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland in partnership with the University of Otago and community organisations Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, Body Positive Inc, Te Whāriki Takapou and the NZ Blood Service.
The SPOTS study was funded by the Health Research Council of NZ and the Ministry of Health.
VANUATU: New climate-resilient classroom opens after fundraising boost from Kiwi and Australian adventurers
Source: Save the Children
PORT VILA, Vanuatu 27 APRIL 2026 – A new, climate resilient classroom built using container architecture has opened in Vanuatu – one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world [1] – to keep children learning even when disasters damage school infrastructure, Save the Children said.
The opening of the classroom comes amid a climate crisis that has seen climate extremes become more frequent and intense, along with events like sea level rise and desertification, posing immediate risks to children’s rights, including their right to health, and protection.[2]
Located on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ Vanuatu is uniquely susceptible to a wide range of risks such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, tropical cyclones, drought, and flooding. In 2023, children in Vanuatu were hit by three catastrophic cyclones, back-to-back tropical cyclones Kevin and Judy, followed by TC Lola destroying homes, schools and infrastructure across the country, while the following year two earthquakes caused widespread destruction in the capital Port Vila.
The new classroom is part of a pilot developed through a partnership between the country’s Ministry of Education and Training and Save the Children. Unlike traditional classroom designs that use steel or wooden beams and concrete, the new design uses shipping containers to rebuild classrooms quickly at a lower cost, in a way that is resilient to future disasters including earthquakes, floods and cyclones. The design incorporates climate smart and disability inclusion elements including solar panels, fans and ventilation for cooling, Starlink internet and a disability inclusion ramp for wheelchair access.
Vanuatu’s new, climate resilient classroom was made possible following a remarkable fundraising effort in 2025 by two adventurers from New Zealand and Australia – environmental advocate and Save the Children Ambassador Huw Kingston and Kiwi representative cyclist Laurence Mote – who cycled, skied and hiked more than 4500km across Aotearoa New Zealand to raise funds for the project.
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Honourable Jotham Napat, said:
“This initiative reflects our national commitment to building an education system that is resilient, inclusive, and future-ready. These rapid-deploy classrooms show how innovation can help us respond quickly to challenges while ensuring every child, no matter where they are, continues to learn in a safe, clean, and dignified environment.
“As a nation vulnerable to natural disasters, we must invest in solutions that are not only reliable and adaptable, but also forward-looking. This model sets a new standard for how we can deliver education-smart, flexible, and designed for the needs of all our children today and into the future.”
Relvie Matariki, Save the Children Vanuatu Country Director, said:
“Every child deserves a classroom that is as strong and hopeful as they are. Climate-resilient schools are essential to help avoid disruptions to children's learning when crises strike. When we build classrooms that can withstand a changing climate, we are not just protecting buildings, we are protecting a generation’s right to learn and to feel safe. In Vanuatu, we must continue to find ways to help our children on their education journey even during times of disaster.”
Save the Children has been working in in Vanuatu for more than 40 years to make sure children are learning, protected from harm, and grow up healthy and strong. Save the Children has a long history of responding to emergencies in the Pacific and Vanuatu, ensuring we work alongside the Government of Vanuatu in the coordination of the response.
References:
[2] Born Into the Climate Crisis II report: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/pdf/Born-into-the-Climate-Crisis-2.-An-Unprecedented-Life-Protecting-Childrens-Rights-in-A-Changing-Climate.pdf
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
Universities – Microplastics pose threat to marine life – UoA
Source: University of Auckland (UoA)
Microplastics are having toxic effects on tiny creatures on the seafloor – and the ripple effect could throw the marine environment out of balance, says University of Auckland research fellow Dr Yuxi You.
Her recent research shows a bamboo worm – Macroclymenella stewartensis – is less active and less able to mix sediment in the seabed when exposed to high levels of microplastics.
“When you go to the estuary, you might not see these tiny animals that live beneath the sediment, but you might notice the casting mounds they leave on the mudflats.
“Despite being well hidden, these creatures are vital for the functioning of the ecosystem.
“They help keep our coastal waters clean and able to support marine life,” says You, from the University’s Institute of Marine Science and Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society.
When healthy, the bamboo worm and other tiny creatures burrow in the seafloor, allowing oxygenated water to enter deeper into the sediment. This breathes life into the seabed.
The tiny worms eat organic matter, which regulates the levels of carbon and nitrogen in the sediment and surrounding waters.
When the worms deposit small piles of poo on the seabed, this provides nutrients for microscopic plants that live on the sediments and fuels coastal food webs, says You.
“If microplastics stop creatures on the seafloor performing their vital role of keeping the ecosystem in balance, the risk of algal blooms increases.
“Algal blooms can cause the marine environment to become anoxic, and in an environment with no oxygen, fish and other marine life can’t survive,” she says.
University of Auckland Marine Science Professor Simon Thrush, who supervised You’s research, says healthy marine sediments store carbon, acting as a buffer against climate change.
However, when sediments become unbalanced, they can release greenhouse gases, such as nitrous oxide and methane.
Tiny creatures that help keep the seabed healthy are therefore important for the health of the planet, he says.
“Microplastics are affecting the organisms that live in sediment and they’re part of our biodiversity.
“These organisms are hidden heroes that do a lot for us,” says Thrush.
While You’s study at Leigh Marine Laboratory north of Auckland showed the bamboo worms were less active when exposed to microplastics, it isn’t yet clear why.
It’s possible the worms eat plastic particles, absorb chemicals from plastics that leach into sediment, or have less food available because microplastics reduce the growth of the algae they feed on, she says.
Seabirds and eagle rays feed on worms and other tiny creatures in the seabed, so the harmful effects of microplastics can pass up the food chain, says You.
Thrush says the most common source of microplastics is vehicle tyres, while other major sources include polypropylene and polyester fibres from clothing, and polyethylene from plastic bottles and plastic bags.
People can help tackle the microplastic problem by reducing the amount of plastic they buy, picking up plastic rubbish on the beach, supporting harbour clean up groups, and buying clothing made of natural fibres, he says.
While the amount of plastics pouring into the marine environment has increased, recent research shows some microplastics degrade in sediments over time, he says.
Currently, there are no limits set for safe levels of microplastic pollution in New Zealand – and policies will be needed to manage the problem, Thrush says.
Clean coasts are “precious” to New Zealand communities, says You.
“We benefit from nature, so we need to protect it.
“Most people don’t think about small animals living in the seafloor, but they’re of equal importance to larger animals, such as dolphins and penguins, when it comes to keeping ecosystems healthy,” she says.
Save the Children Report: 15 years since devastating famine, Somalia faces new disaster – drought without aid
Source: Save the Children
Families in Somalia are confronting a new catastrophe, with hunger and humanitarian needs soaring, a worsening drought, and aid levels at unprecedented lows, said Save the Children.
In a new report, When Aid Disappears, Childhood Disappears Too , Save the Children reveals how the collapse of international aid funding to Somalia in 2025 may soon lead to catastrophic outcomes for children not seen since the 2011 famine, which killed over 257,000 people [1].
Early in 2025, projections estimated that 3.4 million people were facing crisis-level food insecurity. A year later, this figure has almost doubled with a projection of 6.5 million people – a jump directly correlated with massive cuts in international funding as well as the predicted poor October-December 2025 rains.
Meanwhile, in 2024, Somalia’s Humanitarian Response Plan was 57.7% funded, which, while still below overall needs, was sufficient to sustain critical programmes. In 2025, coverage fell to just 28.8%. Now, in April 2026, only around 15% of the response plan is funded – the lowest level on record at this time of the year.
As a result, food and nutrition services have been heavily reduced – including the closure of more than 300 nutrition facilities across the country, which are critical for treating child hunger and malnutrition – and preventive programmes have been significantly scaled back.
Without immediate funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will be disrupted, and children in need of care will be turned away. At the same time, conflict in the Middle East risks further strain on global supply chains, increasing the likelihood of delays and shortages.
The report also reveals that while Somalia’s children have grown up under the shadow of repeated crisis – such as the famine of 2011, recurrent droughts, conflict, and disease outbreaks – families have also shown extraordinary resilience. This includes sharing resources, improvising to meet basic needs, and supporting one another even when formal aid has been delayed, insufficient, or absent. The report confirms that while Somali families endure with remarkable strength, sustained external support is essential to prevent avoidable suffering and protect the next generation.
Save the Children’s Country Director for Somalia, Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, said:
“What we are seeing is not a slow deterioration, but a preventable crisis unfolding right now. In Somalia, the crisis is the result of a dire combination of protracted conflict and accelerating climate shocks, compounded by the decision to cut aid to record low levels in 2025. That choice was not inevitable; it had predictable, deadly consequences. Fifteen years of experience in Somalia show what happens when funding changes: when aid is scaled up, lives are saved; when it disappears, so do childhoods.
“Drawing on lessons from the past 15 years, this report warns that current funding cuts risk reversing hard-won progress, including gains in immunisation and reductions in child mortality. Without immediate additional funding, more treatment centres will close, supply chains will break, and children who could have been saved will simply be turned away. Funding must return now – to protect children, prevent the crisis from worsening, and uphold the principle of “never again”.
Fazia-, 15, attends a Save the Children-supported school in Baidoa. She has benefitted from humanitarian aid, but is concerned about the future:
“Before, education was not something I thought about. My life has changed significantly. I used to feel uneducated and unaware, but now I have access to free education.
“Now water is scarce, and the drought is extreme. Livestock are dying due to lack of water. Food has also become scarce, and the drought has deeply affected us.
“For the past three years, we have been struggling with hunger.”
Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding to meet the needs of over 6.5 million people requiring assistance, prioritise support for nutrition and health programs to prevent child deaths, invest in education to give children the skills they need now and into the future, invest in longer-term resilience programming, and ensure aid reaches the most affected populations.
Save the Children has been working in Somalia since 1951, delivering life-saving health, nutrition, education and protection services.
NOTES
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.
NZ Drug Foundation – Overdose Good Samaritan Bill to be debated in Parliament
Source: New Zealand Drug Foundation
A law change that would provide legal protections for people seeking help in the event of an overdose could to be debated in Parliament for the first time tomorrow.
The Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill, a member’s bill in the name of Green MP Kahurangi Carter, would provide explicit protection for people who are seeking help for themselves or others in the event of an overdose or other ‘drug-related acute adverse reaction’.
The NZ Drug Foundation is welcoming the Bill, which is an example of what is often called an ‘overdose Good Samaritan law' internationally – something the charity has long advocated for.
The Foundation’s Executive Director Sarah Helm says that if passed, the law change will save lives.
“We lose almost three people a week to entirely preventable overdose – and we know that people aren’t seeking help because they fear getting in trouble,” she says.
A survey of people at risk of drug harm conducted by the Drug Foundation in 2025 found that almost 40% of respondents would be worried to call 111 if someone was experiencing an adverse reaction to drugs.
“If passed, this small law change will let us send a clear message that people should get help straight away and that they won’t get in trouble,” says Helm.
Helm points to several coronial findings in recent years that have highlighted witnesses’ hesitancy to call for help as a contributing factor in drug deaths.
“Some of the stories we’ve heard have been heartbreaking. The fact that in so many of these critical moments people are weighing up getting in trouble with the law versus getting help for their friends is just tragic.”
Helm says that she is hopeful Parliament will send the Bill to select committee so that MPs can hear evidence from the public and people who’ve been impacted by overdose while they scrutinise the Bill.
Notes:
At the time of writing, the Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill is the fourth members’ order of business on Parliament’s order paper. Subject to other business in the House, the Bill may not be debated until the next Members’ Day, or the first reading debate may be interrupted before a vote is taken.
Freight access protected during critical Tiniroto Road repairs
Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Transporting New Zealand says improved access arrangements for urgent Tiniroto Road repairs are a positive step after initial closure plans threatened major disruption to freight and the local community.
Membership Manager, Lindsay Calvi-Freeman says getting work underway ahead of winter is important given the poor condition of the road.
“We strongly support this work getting done. Tiniroto Road has been in a very poor state and repairs are critical for safety, resilience, and keeping freight moving.”
However, Calvi-Freeman says the initial plan for a full closure – announced on a Friday afternoon for work beginning the following Monday – left operators with virtually no time to adapt.
“This route is critical for logs, livestock, aggregate and other freight moving in and out of the region. With limited alternative routes, a full closure would have had a major impact on these freight movements and the local economy.”
Following engagement with Transporting New Zealand and the Tiniroto Community Association, changes were made to improve access.
Initially, a stop/go system was used for the first two days of work. Access has improved from two to four daily convoy openings, all of which are open to trucks. The convoy times are 8am, 10am, 1pm, and 2:45pm, providing improved flexibility and certainty for freight operators and local road users.
“We worked closely with council and the community to find a more practical solution, and we appreciate the willingness to respond quickly to those concerns,” says Calvi-Freeman.
Transporting New Zealand says continued collaboration is essential to ensure road maintenance can be carried out without disrupting rural communities or supply chains.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
Blood donation policy reform marks long-awaited step toward inclusion – Burnett Foundation
Source: Burnett Foundation Aotearoa
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa welcomes the New Zealand Blood Service’s move toward more equitable, behaviour-based donor screening. This change enables more people – including gay and bisexual men and other men who have sex with men – to donate blood, while maintaining the high standards New Zealanders expect with blood safety.
For more than a decade, advocates, community organisations, and individuals have called for a more inclusive, evidence-based approach to blood donation policy. This change reflects meaningful progress, shaped by sustained advocacy, scientific advancement, years of research like SPOTS (Sex and Prevention of Transmission Study), and a willingness to evolve longstanding practices.
“We welcome this as an important step forward,” says Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Chief Executive Liz Gibbs.
“It reflects years of advocacy and the growing recognition that policy must evolve alongside science and community understanding.”
Shifting assessment of risk away from a blanket-approach based on identities, to one based on behaviours helps reduce stigma while keeping everyone safe.
“Ensuring that communities most impacted by HIV are treated with fairness and respect stays central to our work. At a personal level, it gives men who have long been excluded, an opportunity to give back to their community. And ultimately this change helps increase the number of potential donors, which can help cover shortages in blood supply.” says Gibbs.
This moment reflects what can be achieved through partnership, persistence, and a shared commitment to inclusion. It is a meaningful step forward, while reinforcing the importance of continued progress toward policies that fully reflect equity, dignity, and current scientific evidence.
Events – Firefighters race it out on Wellington waterfront in UFBA national championship
Source: United Fire Brigades' Association
New Zealanders will have a front-row seat to the strength, skill and determination of the country’s firefighters as Wellington hosts a high-energy national championship this week.
On Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May, more than 160 firefighters from across Aotearoa – including volunteer, career, airport and defence force crews – will converge on Odlins Plaza for the United Fire Brigades’ Association (UFBA) Firefighter Challenge New Zealand National Championship.
Following several extreme weather and fire events, the competition offers a rare opportunity to witness firsthand the physical and mental demands firefighters face when responding to emergencies.
The Challenge is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled event that tests competitors against the clock in a series of intense tasks designed to replicate real-life firefighting conditions. Wearing full protective gear and breathing apparatus, participants race up a six-storey tower carrying a 19kg hose pack, haul equipment skyward, force entry using weighted tools, navigate obstacles, and finish by dragging an 81kg mannequin 30m to the finish line.
The event draws both seasoned competitors and first-time challengers, each pushing themselves to their limits in a close-up display of resilience, teamwork and dedication.
With 2026 marking International Volunteer Year, the championship also highlights the vital role of New Zealand’s volunteer firefighters. Around 12,000 dedicated volunteers make up approximately 86% of Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s frontline workforce, serving communities nationwide, around the clock, alongside their work and family commitments.
The UFBA welcomes the public to attend, capture the action, and show support for the firefighters who protect communities every day.
Event details: Location: Odlins Plaza, Wellington Waterfront
Dates: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 May
Time: 9:30am – 4:00pm (approx.) both days
About the UFBA – for over 140 years the United Fire Brigades’ Association has been the leading association representing firefighters in New Zealand. Today our services support c.14,000 firefighters throughout the fire and emergency services sector. We champion volunteerism, provide advocacy and support, skills-based challenges, workshops, and service honours.
For more information visit www.ufba.org.nz
World Vision – Give a gift that gives twice this Mother’s Day
Source: World Vision
World Vision’s ethical gift catalogue offers New Zealanders a meaningful way to celebrate mums, while helping families around the world
This Mother’s Day, New Zealanders looking for a meaningful alternative to flowers or chocolates are being encouraged to choose an ethical gift that changes lives.
Gifts from World Vision New Zealand’s Gift Catalogue help deliver practical, life-changing support to millions of mothers and children worldwide facing hunger, displacement, and poverty.
Through the catalogue, shoppers can choose unique and ethical gifts that honour their special mum or mother figure while supporting families living in some of the world’s toughest places.
With prices starting from just $10 (which can provide lifesaving immunisations for a child), the practical and life-changing gifts make it easy for everyone to contribute to a brighter future for vulnerable children and mothers globally.
Popular gifts include fast-growing seeds so families can grow more food ($10); nutrition programmes for mothers and babies ($63); cooking classes to help fight malnutrition ($54); emergency food for children suffering hunger ($60); and support for women to start a business ($160). Larger gifts such as emergency shelter can also help families rebuild after disasters or conflict.
World Vision New Zealand’s National Director, TJ Grant, says Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the care and compassion mothers show every day.
“Mother’s Day is about recognising the love and sacrifice of mums and mother figures in our lives. Choosing an ethical gift is a powerful way to celebrate that love while extending it to another family who may be facing incredibly difficult circumstances.
“These gifts provide practical support for women and children around the world — whether that’s access to nutritious food, education, healthcare, or the opportunity to earn an income and build a better future.”
Ethical gifts are designed to support both immediate needs and long-term change, helping communities strengthen food security, improve health outcomes, and create opportunities for women and girls.
Each gift comes with the option of a printed card or e-card, allowing the giver to share the story behind the gift with their mum on the day and explain how their present is helping families around the world.
To make a meaningful impact this Mother’s Day, visit the World Vision New Zealand Gift Catalogue at worldvision.org.nz/give-now/smiles-gift.